Safety razor



Patented July l1, 1933 Y ARTHUR A.'GROTHE, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM J. CAMERON, OF 'l CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SAFETY RAZORApplication filed. November 18, 1929. Serial No. 407,830.

My present invention relates to safety razors, and it has moreparticular reference to the manner of attaching the blade-carry I inghead to the handle and for compressing `E the blade between the parts ofthe head.

In safety razors of a well-known type the thin double edged blade ismaintained in position between the members -of two-part head by screwingthe removable handle upon the threaded stud that projects from one ofthe members of the head. lhile this is an eli'ective manner of assemblyit'is subject to the objection that time is always required to properlyinterengage the threads of the handle socket and the threaded stud andaddi tional time is required to rotate the handle the proper extentto'securely clamp the thin blade between the parts of the head. Aiurther objection to this type Vof structure is the f fact that the usermust rely solely upon his judgement as to the proper amount of tensionto be given the flexed blade in order that e3tfective shaving operationmay be performed.

Vithmy present construction I have successfully eliminated the abovementioned inherent objections, and I have provided a safety razorstructure wherein the parts of the head and the blade may be readilyassembled with the handle, and after this assembly the tension upon theflexed blade may be adjusted to predetermined*positions for operation.The adjustment last-mentioned, while it may be slight, nevertheless, itis essential for persons using thefrazor and with my improvement may beaccomplished to a nicety. l i My invention has numerous objects invview,among which are the ease and readiness with which the parts of the razormay be assembled and adjusted for operation, the compactness of theparts so that they will not occupy a large space or become cumbersomekwhen not in use; the dependability with which the device may be used ormanipulated, and the novel manner in which the parts are assembled whichpermit the razor to be manufactured and soldA for a reasonable price.

I prefer to laccomplish the before-men tioned and other objects,l and tocarry out my 0 invention in substantially the manner hereinafter fullydescribed and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, referencebeing herein made to the accompanying drawing that'iforms a part of thisspecilication.

In the drawing:

Fig.' l is a view in side elevation of my invention applied to a safetyrazor and showing the parts in separated positions preparatory toassembly.

Figure 2 is a vertical fragmentary View of a portion of my invention theview being a section taken on line 2--2 of Figure 3, 'and drawn to anenlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3--3 of Figure 2, drawn to asmaller scale than said ligure and looking in the direction of thearrows. f

` Figure 4 is a fragmentaryv view showing in detail the assembly of thehead with the handle and illustrating the initial positions of the partsand just prior to the clamping of the parts.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the parts in the first clampingposition.

Figure 6 is a similar View showing the second clamping position. -r

Figure 7 is a layout pattern of the lower portion of the sleeve on theguard plate.

'Ihe drawing is to be understood as morel or less schematic :tor thepurpose of illustrating a typical or preferred form in which thestructure may be made, and in said drawing the same reference charactershave been employed to designate like parts whereverthey appearthroughoutthe several views.

In the drawing, 10 represents the handle to which the blade-carryinghead is detachably secured, andthe manner of mounting of the head onsaid handle is such that there may be aslight adjustment of the guardand clamping members of the head in order to secure different tensionsupon the blade and change the relation of the cutting edge of the bladewith respect to said guard. The guard which forms a coacting portion ofthe head consists of a rectangular plate l1 of concavo convexcross-section that is provided with' a central stud 12 and a pair ofguide pins I3 arranged one on each side of the stud in longitudinalalinement with each other.

The end portion of the stud is reduced in diameter to provide a neck 111and beyond the latter there is an enlargement in the .form of arectangular shaped cross-piece 5, so that a locking member or key isprovided upon the end of the stud.

The clamping member consists of a concavo-convex rectangular plate 16having therein a central aperture 17 that is between two spacedapertures 18 which receive and coact with the stud and guide pins ot theclamping plate 11. The adjacent or opposing faces of the clamping plateand guard plate substantially correspond in curvature, and when the thindouble-edged blade 19 is interposed between these members it is flexedtransversely as the members are drawn together.

Surrounding the central aperture 17 of the guard member there is atubular sleeve 2G that'projects from the concave face of said member toa point slightly beyond the lrey on the stud 12 when the guard and clampare assembled. rlhe lower or outer end or" the sleeve is of irregularshape as shown so as to provide a pair of diametrically opposite tonguesor stops 21 that extend longitudinally from the end edge of the sleevein the manner shown, and intermediate these tongues or stops the loweror end edge of the sleeve is somewhat undulated so as to provide aplurality ot distinct niches or recesses 22, 23, and 24C, each of whichis located a different distance from the guard plate 16. In other wordsthese niches or recesses are disposed spirallyor in a plane inclined oroblique to a plane at a right-angle to the axis of the sleeve or theplane of what was the adjacent end edge of the sleeve. For conveniencein understanding, a diagrammatic flat lay-out or pattern of this portionout the structure is illustrated in Figure 7, which shows its cam-likeformation.

rlhe handle is preferably a hollow cylindrical casing 10, with its upperend closed by a plug 25, and a conical shaped protecting cap-.26,.isscrewed thereon that has its upper end truncated and provided with anopening 27, through which the centrally projecting elements of the guardand cla mping members enter the end of the handle 'for co-operation withthe handle parts that are adapted to interlock therewith. Theseinterlocking parts are enclosed within the cap 26, and are preferablycarried by the plug 25 or end of the handle.

rlhere is preferably a post 28 that has its reduced and lniurled lowerend 29 imbedded in the material oi which the handle or end plug areformed, and near its outer end the post is trans-axially bored toreceive a transverse stop-pin 30 the ends of whichv project beyond thesides. As will be seen the length of the stop-pin is not less than theoutside diameter of the sleeve 2O that depends from the guard plate7 sothat the tongues 21 of said sleeve may be engaged with opposite ends ofsaid stop-pin when the sleeve is inserted into the cap and over thepost. In this position the ends of the stop-pin will be positioned inthe initial niche or recess 22 in the lower edge portion of said sleeve.

A cage or box 31 surrounds the post between the latter and the sleeve20, and it is of cylindrical cross-section with its lower end closed bya cup-shaped head 32 that is screwed thereon and has avcentral -openingthrough which the post passes. The opposite or outer end of the box isclosed by an integral wall 33 having a diametrical slot 34 that hasextensions 35 that extend down into the side wall of the box so that asuitable socket is provided into which the neck'- and lrey 14- and 15may be inserted and locked, the latter being accomplished by a relativerotative movement between the respective parts which will position thekey head back of the end wall 33, as shown in Figure 2, and indicatedindotted lines in Figure 3. The side wall of the box is provided withalining holes 36 having diameters greater than the diameter of the stoppin 30 that passes therethrough so that there may be a slightindependent relative movement ina longitudinal direction betwen the pinand box.

A coiled expansion spring 37 surrounds the post between the stop pin andthe cupshaped closure head that is placed in the boX prior to thescrewing of the head upon the box. As will be seen, one end of thespring bears against the stop-pin and its opposite end is seated againstthe closure head so .as to urge the box downwardly towards the handleand yieldably maintain the stop-pin in the upper portions of the holes36 as illustrated in Figure 2.

The operation or assembly of the head and handle is as follows Theflexible blade is placed between the clamping member and the.guard'membeig in which position the stud 12 will be inside the sleeve20, and these latter parts are theninserted in the hole 27 in thehandle'cap and moved inwardly and slightly rotated until the lrey 15passes through the slot 3a into the interior of the box. Meanwhile theend of stop-pin 30 will be engaged with the tongues 21 in the initialundulation or recess 22 in the end edge of the sleeve. A relativerotative movement between the head and the handle members will positionthe key bar 15 under or back of the end wall, 33 of the box and it willbe locked against longitudinal movement. A further rotative movement ofthe parts will cause the undulated edge of the sleeve 20 to push thestop-pin 30 downwardly against the spring 37 while the pin will movetoward the opposite segment ot the holes 36 in the sides of the boxuntil the niche or recess 23 is entered by the ends of the pin. Thesemovements of the parte will have caused the flexing of the blade betweenthe guard and clamping members due to the drawing of these memberstowards each other and the niche will maintain the parts againstaccidental movement in a rotative direction.

Should it be desired to flex the blade to a further extent the head orhandle may be rotated until the pin seats in the last niche 24, andagainst the tongues, in which position the blade will be flexed to itsfull limits hetween the guard and clamping members and is in positionJfor use the same as when the pin is in the niche 23. A reverse rotativemovement between the head and handle will release the guard and clampingmembers of the head andthe latter may be withdrawn from the handle andthe members may be separated to remove the blade.

What I claim is A safety razor comprising a blade carrying head and ahandle therefor, said head comprising a guard member and clamping memberfor securing a blade between the guard and clamping member, a st-ub tubeextending down from said guard, a stud on the clamp member telesooped insaid tube, a hollow extension yieldingly mounted on the adjacent end ofthe handle having a key-way in its outer end and telescoped by saidtube, a key on said stud that interlooks with said key-way, a stationarypost at the end of the handle on which said lhollow extension is mountedand which extends up into said extension, and lateral members on saidpost that project through said extension, to engage the lower edge ofsaid stub tube, said stub tube having a graduated notched lower edgecoaeting with said lateral members for predetermining the adjustableileXing of the blade.

Signed at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, this 22nd day of August, 1929.

- ARTHUR A. GROTHE.

